Red Bull intensely censured the choice to drop Max Verstappen off the platform at the United States Grand Prix for manhandling track limits. He was punished five seconds for passing Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen by cutting Turn 17 on the last lap.
Verstappen said the choice was “extremely peculiar” and Red Bull group supervisor Christian Horner said it was “shocking”. Verstappen added: “Consistency is lacking and understanding racing. They do understand how to kill the sport.”
“I am still a happy man but of course we should have been third,” he said.
“It is very weird because the whole weekend we could run off track and there were no track limits.
“Even my fight with (Mercedes driver Valtteri) Bottas, he went off the track when I was in front and he came back in front of me and there was no penalty given, and we overtake him again.
“I am fine with that but then I am fighting with Kimi and I do get a penalty.
“For the sport, the fans also don’t understand, they are loving it and then they ruin the sport. They should keep going like this and then for sure within two years the fans are walking away here.”
Horner said: “It is a great shame. We have seen cars going off track all weekend. The race director has said he has been happy with the use of track limits. We have seen cars in the grand prix going beyond circuit limits with no action and Max makes an outstanding pass on Kimi and unfortunately had it taken off him.”
Horner said authorities had conflicted with an understanding made after a comparative occurrence influencing Verstappen in Mexico a year ago to set aside the opportunity to take a gander at the full contention before settling on a choice.
Rather, the punishment was given in the time it took the drivers to finish the backing off lap toward the finish of the race.
He added: “If you don’t want people to go there, put a kerb or gravel there. What’s annoying is the lack of consistency. How can you say what Valtteri did is OK and what Max did isn’t?
“In any other sport, if you are out, you are out. Either get rid of it completely and just let them race or if you don’t want the cars to go there put in a deterrent for the drivers not to be there.”
